Jan Williams Phd Therapeutic Trainer Journey to Wellness
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Journey to Wellness 
Therapeutic Training Programme

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What is it?

Journey to Wellness is a comprehensive training and support programme designed to enable people with ME and related conditions to free themselves of illness and recover their full health. The programme comprises three elements:

1. Preparation – deciding if the programme is right for you

2. Training – 10 hours of therapeutic training, spread over four days, during which you’ll gain the understanding and skills you need to begin your recovery journey

3. Follow-up and support – a range of services to help you continue to apply your learning in your everyday life to achieve lasting health

How does it work?

ME and related conditions are caused when the body’s immune and neurological systems are overloaded, often through illness, stress or some traumatic event. An overactive sympathetic nervous system upsets adrenaline and cortisol production and throws our body systems out of balance. Normal, healthy functioning is disrupted, ultimately culminating in illness.

The Journey to Wellness programme teaches you how to reverse this situation, using techniques from NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), hypnotherapy, life coaching and mindfulness. There’s nothing ‘mystical’ or ‘miraculous’ about it - it takes a practical, evidence-based approach to what tends to be a misunderstood physiological condition.

The results can be literally life-changing. The initial four days of training give people a powerful impetus to begin their recovery journey. Many experience a remarkable turn-around during the training. Continuing success depends on applying the new learning with commitment and consistency over the weeks and months that follow. Full recovery involves not only freeing yourself from symptoms, but also creating a life as a well person that is purposeful and true to you. My commitment is to stand by you on that journey.

Who is it suitable for?

Potentially, anyone with ME, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia or a similar condition can
benefit from the programme. It can help people with mild, moderate or severe illness, those who have been ill for a matter of months and those who have lived with illness for many years.

Everyone is individual and each person has their own recovery journey to make. Some people will join the programme having resolved any emotional or social problems that contributed to their illness, dealt with any nutritional imbalances, and kept reasonably mobile. The skills they learn on the training days may be all they need to make a rapid and full recovery. Other people may be just beginning to address these issues. The training will give them the understanding, confidence and skills they need to resolve the barriers to wellness and recover their health.

What matters most is that you understand what the programme entails and that you are committed to learning and applying it consistently in your life. It is not a quick fix or a miracle cure – it’s a training programme, designed to teach you the skills you need to enable your body to heal itself.

“We were clambering down rocks to the sea the other day, and I thought that I wouldn't have
believed it six months ago, when I had to use a wheelchair even indoors.
Jan Williams’ training is inspirational and literally life changing.” 

Simon Beckett, Sheffield 

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The Training

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What does the training involve?

At the heart of the Journey to Wellness programme is the 10 hours of therapeutic training, spread over 4 days. During this time you will learn the mind-body techniques you need to set yourself free from illness, anxiety, stress, fatigue and pain. The course involves:

  • understanding how your body and mind got trapped in a state of chronic stress arousal, leading to the debilitating symptoms of ME, chronic fatigue and similar conditions
     
  • learning how to ‘reprogramme’ your unconscious mind to switch off the ‘fight or flight’ response and access a state of calm and relaxation
     
  • discovering how to reconnect with your natural blueprint for health
     
  • practising mind-management techniques and ways of using your body to rebalance your system and optimize your physical and emotional well-being
     
  • beginning your journey to wellness
How is the training structured?

The training takes place over four consecutive days. The first three days are taught in a small group of 4-5 clients. This small number ensures that you get all the individual attention you need, and at the same time benefit from others’ experiences. The training takes about three hours a day, and includes taught elements, discussion time and practical work. There is home practice to do after the training.

On day four each participant has a one-hour, one-to-one session with me, to consolidate their learning and focus on issues of particular relevance to them.

“...Thank you for helping me have the courage to change myself.…
I’m continuously excited about life now and the infinite possibilities.
I hope many others will find out about you and have the same experience you have helped me have.”

Sebastian Harries, Manchester

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Follow Up and Support

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What is available after the training?

After the four days of training, a range of follow-up and support options are available. Experience has taught me that many people value the opportunity for continuing contact, as they make the transition from illness to health - recovering their fitness, adjusting their financial arrangements, building new relationships, returning to work or study and so on. Others want very little follow-up. Everyone is different. You can choose to access any or all of the training and therapeutic services below.

Telephone follow-ups

I generally recommend that clients have a telephone follow-up about a week after completing the course; and a second one a month or so later. These give you the opportunity to touch base with me, review progress, celebrate successes and raise any issues of concern. I may also suggest a one-to-one session at some point, if there are particular issues you would like help with. (These sessions are all included in the programme fee.)

Monthly workshops

I run monthly two-hour workshops which are open to anyone who has trained with me. Here, you can revisit what you learned on the four-day training and meet and share experiences with others on the Journey to Wellness. The workshops run on a six month rolling programme, and you can attend as many / for as long as you wish. There is a nominal charge of £6.50 per workshop.

Quarterly newsletters

You will also receive a free newsletter each quarter, to keep you in touch. Here you can read client success stories (and even write your own!), hints and tips on applying your learning effectively, answers to frequently asked questions, suggested reading, inspirational quotes and much more besides.

Additional support

If you want additional one-to-one support at any point, emails are a useful first point of contact. You can also arrange further telephone or one-to-one sessions. I use a range of therapeutic approaches to suit individual needs and circumstances, including NLP, mindfulness, life coaching and hypnotherapy. Discounted rates are available for Journey to Wellness clients.

Other Therapies

Some clients benefit from other therapeutic help on their recovery journey. Tina Betts, a neurophysiotherapist specialising in CFS/ME, can advise on how to get back into peak physical condition. Chris Dawson, hynotherapist and energy practitioner, can help with deep relaxation and resolution of emotional blocks (www.stockport-hypnotherapy.co.uk). Nutrition and other therapies may also support your recovery and I can suggest local practitioners to contact.

“The monthly workshops have been a vital part of my recovery. I have found them an invaluable means of support and a great reminder to keep on the right path when I get caught up in ‘life’!”
Caroline Keighley, Stockport

“I really enjoy the newsletters. They make me ‘recommit’ if I am stuck,
going backwards or just feeling lazy! Sometimes I get them out to read and reinspire myself.”
Annika Muller-Wager, Stockport

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Preparation

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To help you decide whether the Journey to Wellness programme is something you want to commit to, and to ensure you are well prepared, do consider the following points.

Is the programme suitable for you?

Answering the questions below will help you clarify your personal readiness for the programme. You need to be able to say YES to all of them, in order to be ready to join the programme.

  • Are you ready for change – ready to let go of old, limiting beliefs and behaviours - ready to learn new skills and be open to new ideas?
  • Are you committed to doing the full four days of training, (three days of group learning and a one-to-one session on day four) and the home practice?
  • Do you understand that in order to effect lasting change, you need to continue practising and applying your learning in the weeks and months after the course?
  • Do you recognise that you’re responsible for your own learning and your recovery journey?
When you come to fill in the application form, you’ll be reminded of these important questions again.

Do you want to find out  more?

Do read this website thoroughly, it will answer many of your questions. After that, you are welcome to contact me, if there are points you’d like to discuss. You may also find it helpful to talk to other people who’ve trained with me.

Ring me on 0161 429 6718 or 0161 474 7996 for a free informal discussion. Or email me at jan@journey-to-wellness.co.uk with any questions.

Do you want a ‘taster’ session (optional)?

You may choose to book an optional ‘taster session’ with me, before you make a final decision about whether the training is right for you. This will give you the chance to:

  • Explore any issues you want to resolve before starting the programme
  • Get to know me and my way of working
  • Experience some of the therapeutic training methods I use.
The session lasts about an hour and costs £60. If subsequently you join the therapeutic training programme, this will be deducted from your programme fee. If, on the other hand, you feel further individual sessions would suit you better at this stage, we can arrange this.

“I feel I have a new life. After being unwell for so long, I have the confidence
and energy now to
return to a very demanding job...
it is wonderful to be able to do the things I want to do."

Denise O’Brien, Stockport

Next Page:  Read how the programme has helped others

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For an informal discussion or if you have further questions, ring 0161 429 6718 or 0161 474 7996 or email
jan@journey-to-wellness.co.uk